The Gatekeepers
by Rakuril
Summary: AU. There is a secret door within Hogwarts. Every generation, there are five chosen ones who control the door to another dimension. These young ones, lives often riddled with tragety, most overcome what they fear most: whats on the other side of the Gate.
1. Prologue: Strange Dreams

The Gatekeepers... all will be explained in time.

* * *

_'Oh no, not again.' Polaris Black groaned, finding herself in a darkened forest, where the shadows loved to flit around the murky tree-trunks.  
'KYPRIOTH!' She yelled, annoyed. She knew he wouldn't answer, and he didn't. This nightmare was her own. She tossed a piece of her long, ebony hair behind her shoulder angrily, as she didn't like being stuck in nightmarish lands alone, without his annoying commentary running through her ear. Her dark blue eyes glinted from her porcelain-pale face, surrounded by a thick fringe that was her eyelashes, as they darted around, looking for any sign of life. All she found was a black raven, sitting there calmly starring straight at her. She decided to ignore the contemptuous beast, and to keep looking around.  
'Sirius?' she called carefully, and was relived when nothing moved, except the damnable bird.  
' JAMES, LILY?' She began to call names at random, seeing if any of them were here with her. She received no answer.  
'REMUS, ATLANTIS, RAKURIL?' Still nothing.  
'SELENE…?' It took all her courage to choke out the last name she was going to call. 'MORGAN?'  
As if on cue, a smoky figure appeared seated by the base of one of the trees. The figure was a young woman, barely out of Hogwarts, staring with glassy green eyes at Polaris. The woman's long mahogany hair, normally pulled back immaculately in a headband, was a mess, flowing over her shoulders and hanging in her face. Her robes were ripped and torn, with burn marks across her chest. Instinctively, Polaris knew her Slytherin friend was dead, although her heart kept yelling that it was false. There was nothing she could do about it but mourn. Her eyes caught sight of a silver medallion, the one she herself removed from Morgan's neck when they found her dead. It was etched with a new moon symbol, the silver tarnished and darkened on its face.  
'So passed Morgan Le Faye' she murmured, her voice thick with tears. A flicker in the corner of her eye made her turn, and she wished she hadn't. Sprawled out by a tree was another young woman, barely older than Morgan was. She was dressed in black velvet and brocades, a silver tiara framing her pointed ears. Her bright blue eyes were also open, staring straight ahead, determination forever frozen on her face. The pale head was cushioned on a pillow of crimson curls, Rakuril's natural color, as Polaris painfully knew. Polaris let out a sob at the new arrival, because she had seen her friend's death twice, and both times, she had been powerless to stop it. Another amulet glimmered from Rakuril's neck, this one etched with a half-moon, half-tarnished and hanging from a black ribbon.  
'Raku…' Polaris hiccuped, turning her face away. Suddenly it was all gone. The dark forest, the visions of her dead friends, it was all gone into swirling black mist. Polaris's solitude didn't last for long; another vision embraced her and deposited her roughly on a white marble balcony overlooking a sunset and the sea. Infront of her, another tall young woman stood, her snow-white hair done up in an elaborate style, and sprinkled with diamond hair ornaments.  
'Atlantis.' Polaris sighed, thankful to see a familiar living face. The woman didn't acknowledge her presence, but instead ran her hands along her white and silver two-piece dress, smoothing the wrinkles from it. Sea green eyes peered from her tan face, concentrating on the horizon, wistful and contemplative, as if wishing her predicament away.  
'They still mean to go through with it.' Polaris whispered, knowing full well that no one would hear her. 'They still mean to go through with your coronation as Princess, besides all that has happened.' Atlantis sighed and reached up to the back of her neck, unclasping her Egyptian style collar. The front had an etching of the full moon, shining silver among the gold.  
'I'm so sorry.' Atlantis whispered, running her fingers over the piece of jewelry that was her constant companion since she was a first year at Hogwarts. 'So pathetically sorry.' The vision slipped away from Polaris, and she was dumped on a hard stone floor. A familiar hard stone floor. She was back in Hogwarts, in a small, unused classroom that her friends had commandeered, mostly for fun at first. All the desks and chairs were stacked neatly, with the exception of one desk and one chair. On the desk was a chess set, hewn from quartz and hematite, and beautifully detailed with gold and silver. In the chair sat a young woman with black hair, and black staring eyes surrounded by thick eyelashes. One would have though that she was staring into space, but in reality, the woman was blind, her eyes a milky light blue.  
'So it ends.' she whispered to the dark, not knowing that Polaris was there.  
'Selene... Please Selene, don't give up...' Polaris said sadly, suddenly afraid. The girl infront of her leaned back and wiped her eyes, making Polaris realize that there were tears coursing down her face.  
'There is noting left for us.'  
'Selene... don't...'  
'Our reign as Gatekeepers is over. It's time.'_  
"Yes. Time for you to return to your body, my favorite Duani." Kyprioth's soft tenor voice was comforting in her ear. Polaris allowed the god to lead her back, before she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.  
"Do not fear, my pet, Soon you will have more mischief than you can stand... and more grief to bury." Kyprioth whispered to her, as he left the young woman asleep at her desk; a thousands of miles away from her true home.

* * *

This is just the prologue. Polaris and Selene will play major rolls in this story, while the others may fade away. It depends.

Disclaimer: I own all the unfamiliar names (IE- Selene, Polaris, Morgan, Rakuril, and Atlantis) the others are owned by JK Rowling. Kyprioth is the exception (he always has to be... --;;;) as he is owned by Tamora Pierce, part of an excelent set of books called the _Tortall books_. He appears in _Trickster's Choice_ and _Trickster's Queen_; and possibly some of the earlier ones I haven't read yet. Oh well.


	2. Curse od the North Star

Curse of the North Star

* * *

Polaris woke up before dawn to find herself face down on her desk. Not a very pleasant place to be when you were working on blueprints before you fell asleep. Carefully sitting up, taking care not to ruin or smudge her work any further, she stretched and worked out her tense muscles. _'Stupid Duani, falling asleep on the job'_ she scolded herself, checking the clock in her apartment and the window that graced her wall. It was still dark, the sun's rays not yet touching the horizon or the New York skyline. Polaris Black was young and brilliant, or so it seemed to her neighbors and coworkers, working as an architect at one of New York's most famous firms. To those in the city, she was a British graduate from Oxford, who moved to New York to escape her somewhat wealthy family's expectations. _'They have no idea.'_ Polaris thought to herself as she bustled around the kitchen, making herself a cup of tea. She was a picturesque beauty, porcelain skin that graced a thin, wiry frame, long ebony hair with slight waves that reached her waist, and dark blue eyes that made people speechless in awe, or tremble in their boots. She wore a pair of loose pajama pants and a tank top, her normal clothing when she worked at home. She didn't seem quite comfortable around her kitchen appliances, or in fact, anything else around her apartment. She swore when she burned her hand on the teapot for the fifth time in a week. Polaris Black may have seemed like a perfectly innocent normal human to the majority of the world, but she had two secrets. Two really big secrets.  
First, she was the only daughter of a pure blood wizarding family, the Blacks. Her twin brother, Sirius Black and herself had been major disappointments to their parents, being Gryffindors and having close personal ties to part-bloods and muggle-borns, and for generally being disobedient. She vexed her parents the most when she had taken up the muggle ballet and other forms of dance when her friend Atlantis Thatch had introduced it to her. She spared herself from her parents' further anger when she left with her brother when they were sixteen, staying with the Potters or other various friends. Her other secret was much more of a burden, that only a few people knew it. She was, or formerly was, a Gatekeeper, a small group of powerful witches or wizards chosen by gods to protect a gate that led to... somewhere that none of them knew. She was the Lady of the Dark Moon's Quarter, something that annoyed her to no end, with the assumption that she only possessed a sliver of decency. As if to protest that thought, the amulet around her neck grew warm. It was a medallion, most of its silver face tarnished, except for the quarter that glittered in the light of her kitchen candles. It was supported by an intricate weave of chains and settled itself right in the middle of her collarbones.  
Polaris went right on being oblivious to the warmth, having a bit of a tangle with the muggle kettle and stove. Neither did she notice the pair of robed visitor who appeared with a pop on her balcony. It wasn't until they knocked, did Polaris even become aware of their presence.  
"BLOODY HELL!" she shrieked, promptly dropping the mug that was formerly in her hands. It went crashing to the floor. One of the figures gave her an annoyed look and gestured at the doorknob/locking mechanism. Polaris stayed near her counter for a second longer than need be, discreetly opening and closing a drawer, removing her wand in the process. She cautiously walked to the sliding glass door, keeping her wand out of sight and unlocked it, allowing the cloaked figure pull it open. Within a second, she had her wand at its throat, looking much like a lady knight with an unsheithed sword.  
"Really Rissa, is that necessary?" The man asked, raising one arm, the other occupied with a bundle.  
"I've been trapped her for nine months with no news. Of course it is, Remus." Polaris snapped, lowering her wand from Remus Lupin's face and stepping aside so he and the other cloaked figure could come inside. She locked the door and drew the curtains, before turning and favoring Remus with a hard stare.  
"You shouldn't be working this close to a full moon."  
"I had to. It's important." He said matter-of-factly, lowering his hood. Polaris gave him a good looking over and decided that his face was more lined and his hair had a few more strands of gray.  
"I have missed you guys." Polaris sighed, sitting the two on couches and taking an armchair herself. "I hate it here... Most of the muggles are as petty as my family." Remus and the other, now identifiable as a female, laughed.  
"Rissa, you could never stay put for long." The woman said lowering her hood. A pale face with milky white eyes and surrounded by curly locks of black hair emerged from the dark hood. Polaris grinned.  
"Like you would want to stay cooped up in the Castle for nine months straight Selene, darling. " She pointed out, still not noticing that the two had their arms hidden under their cloaks. Remus and Selene glanced at one another, obviously silently conversing over something.  
"What?" Polaris had noticed, particularly because Selene was blind, and only glanced over out of habit.  
"Polaris... Rissa..." Remus said strangely choked.  
"What's going on." Polaris demanded.  
"James and Lily are dead." Remus blurted out then fell silent, watching Polaris with a mixture of sorrow and apprehension. Selene ducked her head, trying to hide her tears that had been coming and going.  
"How... when... where...?" Polaris trailed, once she had gotten her vocal cords to work.  
"Last night. Voldenmort attacked them at their house." Selene replied.  
"The twins... what about them?" Another glance between Selene and Remus.  
"Rissa..."  
"DO NOT 'RISSA' ME REMUS!" she exploded. Something gave a startled cry. A very child-like startled cry.  
"Great, well done Rissa. You woke them up." Selene said dryly, her ears more sensitive than the other's.  
"Woke who up exactly..." Polaris said, uncertainly. Both Selene and Remus pulled a bundle out from under their cloaks. Both contained baby girls, one sporting a black and red cap of curls, while the other had red fuzz.  
"That's Lilac, but that's not Harry." Polaris said pointing at the baby with the red and black curls. Remus rolled his eyes.  
"No, this is Mirial." Selene said, bouncing the child gently. The baby opened her blue eye, then her green one and gave an unnerving stare to Selene, who didn't notice or care. Remus was favored with a warm stare from Lilac's violet eyes, making the man smile.  
"Mirial what, exactly..." Polaris had a cold, dreading feeling. "Lily and James didn't have triplets and not tell me? Did they?"  
"Oh no. This is Mirial Black." Remus informed her, before quickly adding. "The daughter of your brother Regulus..." and another quick add-on. "And Raku." Polaris still didn't change the contempt in her face.  
"You lie."  
"He's not lying Ris. I talked to Rakuril just before her death, and she confirmed it. Sirius has been taking care of her for a little less than a year now." Selene said idly.  
"And why isn't he taking care of her now?"  
"Because he's in Azkaban on charges of killing Peter Pettigrew." Selene said carefully.  
"He wouldn't do that. He couldn't...," Polaris said, looking away, trying to stop her eyes from filling with tears.  
"I'm sorry Rissa..." Remus said, handing baby Lilac to Selene and kneeling next to Polaris.  
"I hate you people. First, you make me do desk work, then you ship me away, halfway across the world, and then you come and overwhelm me." She sobbed, covering her face with her hands.  
"Well, they couldn't loose you Duani. You're too important." said a crisp male voice, apparently only able to be heard by Polaris.  
_'Shut up Kyprioth.'_ Her mind snapped back. Remus had seated himself on the arm of her chair and was gently rubbing her back.  
"Rissa?" He asked, when Polaris's tears had subsided.  
"What Remus?" she said tiredly.  
"Will you take the two?"  
"Huh?"  
"Lilac and Mirial. Will you be their guardian."  
"Why should I? There are plenty of people at home who would love to."  
"Because they are the next generation of Gatekeepers." Selene snapped, making Remus and Polaris jump in surprise. "And besides, Mirial's a half-elf, don't even think we can give her to any foster family when you realize how much damage her mother did. And Lilac survived the Killing Curse with her brother, and she is not to know about her family." Selene finished pointedly.  
"That's easier said than done, Sele." Polaris quipped back.  
"No it isn't. From now on, they're another set of Black twins. Both are your nieces and their parents were killed in a car accident." Selene said matter-of-factly. "Remus, we must be off if Dumbledore wants to see us before school tomorrow."  
"Good-bye Rissa. I'll try to keep in touch, but that may be hard." Remus said, patting her shoulder. Polaris stood and gave him a hug.  
"I don't care if do or not. I'll just be glad if you think of me once in a while." Polaris said, pulling back and giving him a half-hearted smile that he returned. Selene gently set the girls on the couch and placed a bag next to it.  
"Selene, I'm sorry I yelled at you... but I had the weirdest dream before you came and it set me on edge, forgive me." Selene walked over to Polaris and gave her a hug.  
"It's alright, my friend, I understand. You're the one with the trickster god breathing down your neck as often as he can manage it." Polaris gave her a cooked smile.  
"He sure does love to complain. Are you sure you can apparate with only your telepathy to guide you?" Selene used a sensitive system of touch, sound and telepathy to get around, making her quite nimble, despite her blind eyes.  
"I'll be fine. Plus I have Remus with me so I don't go too far astray." The duo trooped out to her deck.  
"I'll miss you guys. Remind the others about me." Polaris said, her last good-bye to them. Remus gave her a wolfish grin.  
"We will." Then they were gone with two slight pops. Polaris stared out at the New York skyline as the first rays of the sun poke over the horizon. She then turned and carefully sat next to her two new charges, examining the baby girls.  
"I guess I need to fix up the extra room. Blast them."

* * *

Hahaha… Rissa wants to blast them. Yes, Lilac is Harry's twin sister. I know, horribly cliché, but I have fun with her.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Kyprioth. I do not own Remus. I do not own the third Harry Potter movie… wait a minute… WHO WROTE THIS? (I think you got the point. I own Polaris, Selene, Mirial, and Lilac… and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Sorry for the confusion.) 


	3. Fleeing New York

Fleeing New York

* * *

It was nearly ten years since Polaris Black gained two of the most wonderful gifts she has ever received. Scratch that, two of the most interesting, mind-boggling, expensive, exasperating, annoying, and tiring and downright lovable gifts she has ever inherited.

She was standing by the sliding glass door leading out to the balcony where Remus and Selene had turned up that fateful night, staring out at the skyline again. She smiled, letting it play on her lips as the first rays of the sun poked over the horizon.

_'I'm going home.'_ she thought giddily, completely happy for the first time in years.

The apartment behind her showed that obvious sign. All the furniture was packed up and moved out, and all the rooms were empty. All that was a couple of boxes left in the living room for the delivery guys to get, three suitcases for their temporary stay in London, and their carry on luggage.

In the middle of the room, two sleeping bags had been rolled out and the two girls were fast asleep in them. Neither of them was happy about the move, although Lilac had quietly protested and Mirial had thrown a full-out fit, leaving a hole in the wall that was now patched and painted over.

They had grown-up beautifully, but there was enough of a noticeable difference that Polaris had to tell people repeatedly that they were ferturnal twins, and Mirial got most of her looks from her father. Unfortunately, that ruse didn't work so well for Lilac, as it did for her pseudo-sister and the rest of the world. Therefore, Polaris had to tell her the same thing every day since she started asking, hoping that Lilac wouldn't be too mad at her in the end.

Of course, Polaris didn't blame her. Lilac was small and skinny, with extremely pale skin making her look sickly. She had somewhat long, straight red hair and the prettiest pair of violet eyes imaginable. Polaris knew she would grow up to be every bit as pretty, smart and clever as her dear mother Lily had been.

Her only concern lay with Mirial. The child was a mother's worst nightmare, and that was probably the only reason she had been sent to live with her aunt instead of a foster family in Britain. She was a good 4 or 5 inches taller than Lilac, but just as pale. Her hair was all black and red chunks, obviously the clash of her mother's dominate magic genes and her father's dominant wizard's genes. They also clashed in her eye color, one eye a brilliant green, the other a deep sapphire blue, making her target for genetics joke from neighbors and teachers. The one weird thing that did pass under the radar about her was her slightly pointed ears, mostly hidden under her black and red curls. Mirial's attitude also needed improvement, since she was often combatant, angry and rude. When she entered Kindergarten, a silly Muggle idea to start kids' schooling at the age of five, Polaris had been called into the Principal's office after Mirial had started a fight with the boys. She also remembered the thought _'Oh, you are defiantly your mother's daughter'_ crossing her brain shortly after the meeting.

"Polaris, Duani, they're coming." said a crisp voice. A man had suddenly appeared by her shoulder. He was thin and wiry, about Polaris's height, with coffee colored skin and a close trimmed salt and pepper beard, mustache and hair. His loose shirt and pants were brightly colored, and hung all over with sparkling jewelry, charms and broaches in many different colors with differentmetals and types of stones.

"You don't seem too alarmed Kyprioth." Polaris replied to the God, her good mood disappearing.

"Duani, you wound me. Nevertheless, the children are capable, and so are you. So I have no need to worry, you'll get them into the protection of my divine brothers and sisters safely." Kyprioth murmured, so not to wake the girls.

"How much time do I have?" Polaris muttered at the same volume. Kyprioth glanced out the window, squinting his eyes.

"A half an hour at most." Then he was gone. "I'll hold them off." His voice drifted to her, then his presence was completely gone.

"Mirial, Lilac... Get up." Polaris roused both of the unamused girls and sent them into the bathroom. While she was sure the two were occupied, she pulled out her wand and muttered a spell. The sleeping bags and unpacked luggage was suddenly neatly packed and ready to go.

"Ugh... I am out of practice..." Polaris pulled the cover off the only thing that was not ready for travel. It was a mirror, framed in an onyx stone and a perfect reflector. She quickly examined the frame, and moved a small round spiral askew. The mirror glowed blue as if it had become a portal. Polaris quickly levitated all the boxes and luggage through, except for a pair of backpacks and her laptop case. She quickly moved the spiral back into place and covered the mirror as the girls came out of the bathroom.

"Aunt Rissa?" Lilac questioned when she saw her Aunt's grim face and all the boxes gone.

"Ris! Move." Kyprioth warned. Polaris quickly got the girls into action.

"Go out the door and to the elevator. I'll be there in a minute." She said, handing the girls their backpacks. "And stay together." Lilac nodded and grabbed her half-asleep sister, running out the door. Polaris swung her laptop bag over her shoulder and aimed her wand at the mirror.

"RISSA!" Kyprioth yelled. Polaris let out a destruction spell, destroying the mirror and ran for the elevator. It was opening as she got there, and she ushered the girls into it.

"Aunt Rissa, what is going on?" Lilac demanded as the doors closed. Mirial had slid down to a sitting position, her eyes half-closed. _'There's one blessing. Mirial is about as much of a morning person as her mother.'_

"Later, darling. Right now you need to be quiet." Polaris whispered. The rest of the ride down was quiet.

As soon as the doors had opened, Polaris had checked the outside halls. Determining that it was clear, she drug the girls out onto the street, mixing with the crowds. They were only a block away when their apartment exploded. Polaris was thankful for the confusion, dragging her two charges down into the subway terminal, keeping a good grip on her wand from under the sleeve of her jacket. As they approached the ticket gates, a few crows decided to distract the guards, allowing Polaris and the girls to slip past, undetected.

_'Thank you Kyprioth.'_ She sent silently to the god, after getting past.

_'Don't thank me yet.'_ He grunted in reply. She saw it then. A shadow following her and the girls. She picked up speed in the near empty terminal as the next train slowed infront of her. Polaris tossed the girls into the empty care and dove after them, just as the shadow moved into the light. Both her and the girls saw it through the closing doors. A great black wolf covered in onyx and crimson armor. Then it was gone and the train was off.

"What was that?" Mirial said, finally awake. Her mismatched eyes were as wide as her sister's were, but Polaris saw something in them that she didn't like.

"A Gothirim Draug..." Then Polaris sighed, remembering that they knew nothing of her world, their world. "A Drow wolf. One of Riailin's troops." The girls took this in quietly.

"Why are they after us?" Lilac asked innocently. _'Oh boy... if you only knew...'_ Polaris thought, then winced as she remembered she was going to have to tell them. She quickly glanced around the car, adjusting her Sight to see magic and other listening devices. The Sight was one of the only gifts she received when she was inducted into the Gatekeepers, and it had gotten her out of more scrapes than anything had.

Seeing nothing, she settled down into a seat and dug four letters out of her laptop bag. All of them were written on thick parchment, but two bore the crest of her own school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the other two had the crest of Evangeline's School of Magic, a wizard's school in America.

"I guess it's time for you to learn of your origins." Polaris said, handing each of the girls two letters.

"Aunt Rissa, these aren't mine... These are addressed to Lilac Potter... I'm Lilac Black...," Lilac said desperately, examining the envelope. When Polaris rubbed her eyes and looked down, Lilac's eyes widened. "Aren't I?"

"Wicked." Was the only thing Mirial said as she opened her envelopes and eyed the contents.

"Mirial, will you quit being a self-center prat for a moment?" Lilac begged. Her long-thought of sister looked at her.

"Lilac," Polaris said, kneeling next to her carefully on the moving train. "You'll always be my niece. For reasons I can't tell you, you were brought into my care at the same time Mirial was and it was requested that you knew none of this until you were old enough."

"Wait, wait, wait... If all this is true, my parents didn't die in a car accident, did they?" Mirial took a glance over at Lilac's distraught face, "Or her's either?"

"No, they weren't. They were murdered by a man named Voldenmort... Well, at least Lilac's parents, the Potters, were. Mirial, your father, my brother, was murdered on his command, they didn't know how dangerous little Regulus was, and your mother was killed while Voldenmort was being detracted, as much as he wanted to have a go at her." Both girls were silent at this development.

"So..." Polaris said, plopping back into her seat and surveying the girls. "Where do you wish to go? Hogwarts was my old school and the school your parents attended... While Evangeline's school is know for the Evangeline's Guard..."

"I'm going to Hogwarts." Mirial said, glaring at her aunt, who smiled in return.

"I'll go to Hogwarts..." Lilac sounded less certain.

"Good, then I don't have to drag you so you will go to the same school as your brother." Polaris grinned. Lilac immediately perked up at that development.

"My... brother?"

"Yes, your twin brother survived and has been staying with your muggle aunt and uncle since. Don't ask to stay with them, they're about the most horrid Muggles I have ever met." Polaris said as the train stopped at JFK International Airport. She took the letters and stashed them in her bag for safe keeping, letting the two girls run ahead chatting. At the first window she located, she looked out into the city using her Sight.

_'It'll take them another 24 hours to reach us.'_ she thought, with a slight smile.

Six hours after arriving at the airport they were on a plane, heading for Heathrow airport in London, England, Polaris grinning wickedly at all the fun she was going to have with her friends when she arrived.

* * *

Ok... that was well, odd. Their Next Chapter: Some people you may recognize and some evilness by Polaris... as well as more of a personality by Mirial.

Disclaimer: Might as well add one. I do not own Kyprioth. He belongs to Tamora Pierce. I own everyone else in this chapter, unless I add in someone that you can guess belongs to JK Rowling.

A side note: I live nowhere near New York, I haven't even been there. So bear with my little errors, please. It would also be nice to have some reveiws, maybe?


	4. Hidden in Darkness

Hidden in Darkness

* * *

Dawn over the vast sands of the desert always captivated the small girl standing at her balcony. Her large group of rooms over looked a beautiful oasis, as green as her almond shaped eyes, and then faded into the large expanse of desert sands beyond. The cool early morning breeze played with her long white hair and over her bronze/coffee skin. Her small feet were bare, comfortably situated on the white marble, underneath a flowing white cotton gown. The halter-type straps were hidden under an ancient Egyptian collar, decorated with gems and gold. Up and down the girl's arms were bangles and armbands, so it looked like the poor child was dripping in gold and jewels. A smile graced her lips as the pale sunlight glimmered on other gems woven into small braids in her long hair.

"My lady, milady!" A young servant girl rushed through the door in her bedroom to find her charge awake and fully dressed. Princess Elektra Marie Cleopatra Kalila El-Ashmauy Ptolemy, Crown Princess of the Magic Kingdom of Egypt, gave a sigh and an unnerving stare to the poor servant girl.

"You know as well as I do that you are not supposed to dress yourself." The girls snapped, rushing over to make sure every fold, gem and strand of hair was in place. The maid sat the princess down and redid the girl's hair with a tap of her wand, creating a style of halfway pulled back soft curls as Elektra quietly bid good morning to her pet lioness, Malak.

"You're done, milady." The maid announced, allowing Elektra to climb to her feet.

"Thank you, Muna." Elektra said quietly. The maid blushed and bowed her head.

"I couldn't have your step-mother chastise me or you in court. You are welcome milady. Don't forget your veil!" Muna said modestly then changed her tone to make sure the young woman remembered. Elektra sighed again and placed the sheer white veil over her hair and face, so none of the courtiers could get a clear view of her.

"Very nice, milady... now, to the Pharisee' court." Muna complimented, then opened the door for her lady to step out. The beautiful door closed behind her, causing Malak to lay down and lazily bat the rug, waiting for her mistress to return.

* * *

_'Ok... no... I don't wanna be sick...'_ These words floated across the mind of a little girl as she flung the duvet over her head. Her white blonde hair was a mess, different from her normal soft waves. Her face was pale and slightly pointed though not as much as her twin brother's. Thick blond lashes surrounded her blue/gray eyes and her light eyebrows were barely visible.

The thick door to her room opened and someone slipped in, shutting the door behind them.

"Snark off." She snapped wearily. She was in no mood to talk to anyone.

"Fine Druci... I'll take my news elsewhere..." Drucilla Malfoy shot out of her bed, dumping her dark green duvet over the side as she scrambled to her brother, Draco Malfoy. Halfway from her bed to Draco, her legs gave way, depositing her on the stone floor in her white nightgown. Draco sighed, and picked his sister up, helping her back into bed.

"What news?" Drucilla begged as her settled her duvet back over her and took a seat next to her. His silence was only broken by the storm raging outside and the popping and crackling of Drucilla's fire.

"I'm going to Hogwarts." he finally spilled, looking at his lap. Drucilla smiled.

"That's great Draco! Now I don't have to worry about Pansy and Millicent..."

"The only reason Father let me go is because Mum insisted."

"So, what else is new... Mum always pulls a power-play on Father..."

"It's going to be so different... I'm not going to be able to see you all the time..." Draco looked hard at his sister, who gave him a stare back.

"We'll manage... As long as I don't have to put up with those bloody prats Crabbe and Goyal any more than I have to." Draco chucked and kissed his sister on the forehead, and left the room as quietly as he came in. Drucilla watched him leave, then rolled over and covered her head again.

_'I'm not gonna be your sister for long if you keep being so possesive.'

* * *

_

Athens was a beautiful city... as long as you weren't considered a street rat. Some considered the small blonde girl and idiot for doing the harder, lower paying jobs instead of the other ones she was pretty enough to do. She normally quipped back that she was perfectly capable of living off honest money, thank-you-very-much, and would rather not stoop to their level.

Her golden hair was dirty and messy from lack of having any hygiene products whatsoever. Her scrawny, bony body was tanned slightly under a layer of muck that would not leave her body until one of the local hotel owners got some pity for her, and also desperate for an extra hand, where they would hand her over to the maids. The maids normally had a field day, and the little girl would be cleaned up and look amazingly pretty.

Today was one of those days, when she was being chased all over the city to fill a spot as the hotel owner's daughter, one roll that she would not portray, unless forced.

Currently she was sitting on a pile of trash, meditating, when a person approached her.

"Excuse me, are you Crystalline Remi?" The person was a woman, British by her accent. She had long charcoal black hair, and wore sunglasses over her pale face and eyes. In her hand was a cane with intricate handle.

"Who wants ta know?" Crystalline replied, making sure to sound impish and countyish. The woman just laughed, which annoyed Crystalline.

"I have a message for you, and a request from someone you know." The woman said, tilting her head.

"If it's from George, I already told him, I won't..." The woman raised a hand, quieting Crystalline. She smiled and handed an envelope and a piece of paper to the girl. Crystalline cautiously took them both, reading the note first:

_My dearest Daughter:_

_Congradulations on reaching the age of 11. I understand that if this note gets to you, your mother and I are most likely dead, unless your mother or I is staring over your shoulder. It is our fondest wish that you will accompany this young woman to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you will find your heritage._

_Your Loving Father:  
__Xavier Remi_

Crystalline looked up to the woman in confusion.

"So what do I do? Don't schools like this cost money?" The woman smiled infuriatingly again.

"Your parents left you a large sum of money when they died." The woman reached out a hand to help Crystalline from the trash. Nevertheless, Crystalline wasn't ready to leave the pile that most people had considered her to be a part of for so many years.

"So who are you? And why are you wearing those ridiculously dark sunglasses?" The woman laughed at her again.

"My name is Selene Hasset, and I wear these 'ridiculously dark sunglasses' because I'm blind." Selene laughed, pulling off her glasses to reveal milky blue/white eyes surrounded by thick, dark lashes.

"Remind me to never underestimate you." Crystalline said dryly, taking Selene's hand.

* * *

Well another chapter done! And man, that was a doozy.

So you have met Crystalline, Drucilla, Elektra and Lilac. Mirial doesn't count because she wasn't fully awake when she was talking.

Disclaimer: I own everyone except the original Malfoy family. And man, Crystalline is a brat in this chapter.


End file.
